Drawer for card-indexes.



No. 657,4l5. Patented sept. 4, soo.

n. E. HUNTER.

DRAWER FOB CARD INDEXES.

' (Application led Jan. 27, 1900.) (No Model.)

-Ta/A",

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. HUNTER, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE n LIBRARYBUREAU, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRAWER FOR GARD-INDEXES.

.. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657,415, .datedSeptember 4, 1 900, n.

` Application med January-27,1900. seating. 2,940. (remodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LHDAVID E. HUNTER, a citizen of the United States,residing al' Cambridge, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Drawers for Card-Indexes, of whichthefol-, lowing description, in connection with `the ac companyingdrawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representinglike parts. y

`My invention relates to improvements in drawers or holders for cards`and similar articles, and applies more particularly to thefollower-block and its connections with the drawer. y

`Various devices have been provided heretofore formaintaining the cardsin more or less compact relation, and the more common of these deviceshas been a block extending across p the width of the box and movablelengthwise thereof, said block having a slopt ing rear wall at the sideadjacent the Vcards 1 Various other details of construction will be moreparticularly pointed out in the following description of my invention,vand the operation thereof will be set forth therein,

and the invention will be more particularly` defined in the appendedclaims. y

In the drawings, Figure l is a transverse vertical section of a typicaldrawer provided with my invention, the follower proper being shown`in-,rear elevation and a portion thereof broken away for clearness ofunderstanding. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section taken on theirregularline. 2,- Fig.l. Figs. 3 and 4 are top plan views of the platesusedin my invention.

The box ct may be of any kind commonpor` desired for the purpose 0fholding card-indexes, records, or vany formof cards, papers, &c., whichit is usual to stand onf edge in regular order in a box or drawer.4

`Along the bottom of the box, preferably along the middle thereof, Iprovide a depression herein shown and preferably extending in twoparallel portions a', and on the raised 55 intermediate part 0,2 Isecure a bar or plate as, said bar being shown in Figs. 3 and 4 in topplan and in Fig. l in transverse section. Viewing the latter figure, itwill be seen that -the edges of this bar or plate a3 project over 6o tothe under side of the follower-block is a plate a6, having lips or earsa7, stamped out,

preferably, at its edges, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and bent`downwardly and preferably 4in L shape to embrace the guides constitutedThe latter is 7o by the edges of the plate as. cut away at a? in orderto permit the follower and its lugs a7 to be properly mounted in slidingengagementwith the plate CL3.

AIn Fig. 3 I have shown four openings ascut out of theplate a3, and inFig. 4 I have shown 75 only two of these openings, these figures alsoshowing said openings cut only slightly larger than the lugs a7 for thereception of the latter, although it will be understood that I am notlimited to the size of the openings nor to 8o the number, it being onlynecessary to provide suitable means for the ready placing of the lugs a7beneath the guides of the plate 0.3. lIn Fig. 4 I have shown, two ofthelugs of the platect6 as formed within `the body of 85 the plate a, asindicatedY at a9, this being a neat arrangement, especially for wideblocks. Preferably, also, the plate a6 is cut out at alo, herein shownas a circular aperture, and

the follower-block is recessed at @L12 immedi- 9o ately above saidopening am for the reception of a spring als, said spring giving more orless frictional retarding eect and serving also to prevent the tendencyof the block to tip up under the weight of the supported cards in casethe lug a7 should become bent or should it too loosely. At its rear sideI provide a fulcrum 61.14,'herein shown as formed by re-` cessing theback of the block obliquely at 01,15, both above and below thefulcrum-point reo al, and in this recess I mount a clamping device am,which pivots onsaid fulcrum-point a staple 0,17.

stood that I am not limited to the direction of the slot or recess alsnor otherwise tothe specific details .herein mentioned'. y

In a recess al? and preferably adjacent the upper end of the member orlever al@ I mount a spring a2, bearing against the rear side of saidlever 0,16 and constituting means for maintaining saidV clamping vdevicenormallyi in biting engagement with the track or bar as. The form ofblock herein shown has its' but I do not herein claim said improvement,

as it is already claimed in connection with another application. e

The manner of employing my invention is Vas follows: The plate'or barasis rstscrewed or otherwise secured in the bottom ofvl a box` ordrawer, either at one side thereof or down the middle, said drawerhaving suitable pirovision` for raising the' 'edges of said bar' orplate,so that they may be engaged as required',-

'e a7 are similarly` entered through the open- 1 tional engagementtherewith of the retarding.

ings a8, these openings preferably being arl ranged adjacent the frontend of the b'ozr Asthe' follower-block is moved back' into op"- erativeposition in the box it will' be understood that it cannot possiblybecome dis lodged from the" plated3 in any manner wlfiat':

ever, and also by reasen'of the constan-tf fricspring als it does nottend totip'upgand ali rattling ispositivelyprevented. Asthebleck" isstopped in any position it-w'ill be autothe expense of manufactureshould bere-H matically gripped or'v locked positively inE place by thebiting'or gripping action of the jaws or recessed part als ofthe-clamping device am, said automatic action being' due# to thespringer other actuating device d20; n If f the operator desires toshift said block either' forwardly or rearwardly in the box, hje'siinplypin'cheslin-wardly on the lever C616, thereby bringing the inclined slotals moreor less iii-'tby parallelism with theadj acen't edge ofvtheplate a3, so that the block can be readily slidalcn'g saidplate.

One principal object of my present invention is to provide anexceedingly-i nexp'ensi'vef construction', inasmuch as thev commercial 1necessitiesV which have` been developed? in this class ofv devicesE makeitl imperative' tlfiat` ducedfto a min-inifum, and accordingly I be;lieve that invention must be concentra-ted at the present time more uponsimplifying and -cheapening the construction than upon the operationofthe parts.

It--will be observed that all the parts of my jv invention can .bestamped or Hcut out practically from the raw materialinto the finishedshape by oneblow, and none of the parts require any machining or manualmanipulation aside lfrom their stamping out, the result being that theelement of labor is substantiallyeliminated, and the device is not onlygreatly simplied in its parts, but is ex- "c'e'edingly' inexpensive. Y

Having described my invention, what I carids, of a plate constitutingguides and sehaving lips enfgagingsaid guides and mainhaving,V openings`,or' notches cut in itst ed'g'eto i. permit said lips to be insertedorremoved.

ZVThfe combination Witha receptaclefor rcards'; of ai` plateconstituting guides and se- "havi'ng lips engaging said guides' andmaintaining the followervon said plate whileA permi'tti-ng longitudinal'movement, said plat'e a permit said' lips to beiV inserted or removed, aficavit'y inthfev bottoni' of l said block?, and a 'f spring orresilient member occupying said 1 cavity and bearing in frictionalengagement v; against said'lplate.

l follower-block having a`v wide baser, a---trac'k therefor, meansholding said block on said track, and' a`- sp'ring'carried by said blockand engaging said' track-immediately beneaththe i basel of said' blockfor steadyingf and retardfing said block on the track.Y i

et.A A= card-receptacle, a follower-block mov-` `able longitudinallythereof, a bar or plate Am'cunted in said receptacle, and a' clampingcomprisinga member pivotal-ly mounted on' vthe block and having a recessor'jawsV em- ;bra'cingsaid' bar or plate and movable into and out ofbiting engagement therewithJr Y V5'2- Af-card-receptable, afollower-block-mo'valrle` lo'ngtudinallyy thereof, a bar or plate'device for said block, sai'dfclamping device lcomprising amemberpivtally mounted on the'fbl'ock and having'aA recess or' jaws embracingsaid bar or plate-and`r movable into "means automatically maintainingsaid-piv- `otedfmember in biting position.A I

6% Acard-'receptacle,a'follower-biock-movable longitudinally thereof, abar orV plate rrrirnted said receptacleg af'nd-fa clamping device forsaidV biockgfsaid clampingdevice l-.- The' combination with areceptacle.for

cu'red' to said receptacle', a follower-blockV Stain-ling the followeron said plate while peremitting' longitudinal movement, said platehaving openings or notches cut in its' edg'eto In a device of t'hef kinddescribed, a

claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

,cu-red to said receptacle, a follower-block IOO IIO

fdeviceforsaid block, said clamping device mounted in" said!`receptacle, and a clamping e andfout-ofbiting'engagement-therewith, and

comprising a member pivotally mounted on the block and having a recessor jaws embracing said bar or plate and movable into and out of bitingengagement therewith, and a spring mounted in said block and bearingagainst said member for maintaining the same normally in one position.

7. A card-receptacle, a follower-block therein, a bar or plate mountedin said receptacle,

la fulcrum on the back side of said block, a

clampinglever mounted on said fulcrum, said clamping-lever having arecess or transverse slot for engaging said bar or plate, and beingcapable of turning on said fulcrum into and out of locking engagementwith said bar or plate.

8. A card-receptacle,a follower-block therein, a bar or plate mounted insaid receptacle, a fulcrum on the back side of said block, aclamping-lever mounted on said fulcrum, said clamping-lever having arecess or transverse slot for engaging said bar or plate, a

recess behind the upper end of said lever,

A'name to this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

` Y DAVID E. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. MAXWELL, GEO. W. GREGORY.

